Tag: organization

Hello you, and welcome to inside the mind of an Obsessive Compulsive Designer.

School just got back into session. The holidays are coming up. We are starting to get less hours of sunlight. Needless to say, it’s a busy time of year! I can’t stress enough how a well maintained organizational routine is key, especially this time of year. Here are three major components on how I stay organized throughout the year.

Google Calendar

My saving grace! I love planners and journals for the occasional desire to physically write things down. However, most of the time, I love using a digital planner. I love the ability to switch things around and mess up an entry without having to erase or cross something out. It keeps my whole thoughts together and gives me the ability to move things around. Love! I plug everything into my calendar from what blogs to write, pictures to take, and when to actually post my blogs. However, I use my calendar for much more than just blogging. I use it to keep track of personal appointments, bills, and even planning out larger projects. You can color code, assign times, set up alarms, and so much more. I’m so glad I switched over to Google Calendar! They even have an easy to use app so I can get notifications on my laptop and phone. I highly recommend!

Carefully Scheduled Timers

Having an iPhone spoils me. It’s as easy as, “Siri, set a timer for….” I like to set timers for reminders of when I need to start working on things; as well as, using the timers to tell me when I need to stop doing a task. It can be tedious at first but once you really start getting into this habit, it will really start to boost your productivity. It will start to show you how long tasks actually take and how quickly you can get them done! It’s a great self-accountability habit to get into. It’s important to work and get things done but it’s equally as important to rest. Having an alarm to tell you when to quit will help act as an outside voice to really tell your brain to stop.

Set Routines

I’m a creature of habit and a stickler for routines so you know I had to include this. I have certain things that I like to routinely do every day or every other day. Keeping to a schedule helps balance all the different events going on in my life. For those who are new, I have a full time job and also push to post four blogs a week. That’s a pretty full schedule and I like to make sure it all works into my routine! If you aren’t a routine person, using timers will actually help get you on a scheduled routine. Once your mind can settle on a routine throughout your day, you’ll rest a lot easier and be so much more productive.

Leave a comment below and tell me how you stay organized during these busy months. I’d love to hear!

Hello you, and welcome to inside the mind of an Obsessive Compulsive Designer

Take a sneak peek into my bathroom with this post on how I keep all my beauty items stored and organized! I’m not any kind of crazy beauty fanatic and I don’t think I own stupid amounts of makeup but I do have quite the collection. A couple years ago is when I finally decided to get myself an upgrade from the old drawer of unorganized makeup I usually kept my things in (and I’m so glad I did). I picked up three pieces that have significantly changed to way I function on a day to day basis and improved the care that I keep with my products.

I purchased all three of these acrylic organizers from Amazon, because Amazon has EVERYTHING. They were the perfect size, price, and I like how they are clear so I can see everything inside. I’ll be sure to link the cotton swab holder, makeup brush organizer, and the 3 drawer system here. They’re easy to clean and perfect for my small collection.

Getting the 3 drawer system for the bulk of my makeup was a necessity and it allows me to have a concrete system in the morning. Before these organizers, I would shuffle around in my drawer for a good minute or two to find what I needed but now I work drawer to drawer with everything easily accessible. Even if you aren’t a makeup junkie, I highly recommend picking up this item to organize your beauty items (or any other smaller things around your home). This particular drawer set is offered in so many color selections, both solid and transparent, that you’re bound to find one you like.

Hello you, and welcome to inside the mind of an Obsessive Compulsive Designer

I’m still trying to figure out how exactly to adult, but I’d love to share what I’m learning along the way. One of the first topics I wanted to touch on was what to do with all those bills and important documents you’re accumulating. It’s not glamorous by any means but it will definitely help out. Keep reading to learn more!

Separate

It seems like a no-brainer; but, I mean separate to the point of insanity. More work now will make you a much happier person down the road when you need to find something. Take, for instance, if you have to pay for some things with your own money for work like material, gas, food, etc. Creating a folder for all of those receipts will end up being a nightmare when you go back and try to look for one specific thing. Try keeping a folder for each! It seems excessive but your future sanity is worth it!

Folders for recent

To make everyday life easy, I like to keep folders in this nifty little organizer for all the recent documents that may pile up. Anything that I may need in the next month or so will go into these folders so they’re easily accessible but still organized.

Accordion binder for old documents

Once a month or two has gone by, I’ll go in and purge any documents that are not needed anymore and file away important ones that don’t need to be kept so handy anymore. I like to use this accordion binder (you can find these at any store that sells office supplies). This accordion allows me to keep massive amounts of files in one location. I like to use a different accordion every year to help from jam packing one binder full of a few years. If you need to go back and find a document from a couple years ago, it’ll be a much better help if you know exactly which binder you put it in.

Smaller accordion binder for receipts

I do the exact same thing with receipts. I find that receipts pile up much easier than documents do so I like to put them in their own binder to manage the clutter better.

File away – in a safe preferably

One of the most important steps, finding a safe place to put all of this valuable information in. I recommend a safe or a locked desk drawer.

I hope you enjoyed today’s post. Let me know down below in the comments how you organize your bills and documents.